Biography
John Zhang Tianshen
About John Zhang Tianshen
John Zhang Tianshen was a carpenter from Jiashanlong in Guizhou. After learning about Catholicism from a catechist, he sought further instruction and introduced his household to the faith. He and his wife were baptized by Jean-Pierre Néel in January 1862.
He helped others learn the teaching he had embraced. Within weeks, local authorities arrested him with Néel, Martin Wu Xuesheng, and John Chen Xianheng. They refused to renounce their faith and were executed together in February. His short final period as a baptized Catholic followed a longer process of inquiry and instruction within his family.
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